Time and Circumstance
by JenCeeNa
Summary: Where was Bobby? A different take on Season 3's ending...
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

At the end of "No Rest for the Wicked" we wondered why Bobby did not barge in and save the day. We wrote our one-shot to explain his absence. Of course, we could not let it rest. We have expanded this one shot to make it a chapter fic.

Comments are welcomed!

_Disclaimer: Supernatural and all the characters do not belong to us, even though we wish they did._

**Time and Circumstance…**

He is watching. Silently praying.

He hears the screams. His body reacts. His mind stays cold.

"His" boy is dying.

Before he knows it...he is heading across the street.

He is a man on fire.

He sees not the trail of flesh he has left behind. Sees not the holy water that now flows red.

He reaches the house. Knows not that he has just taken his first breath.

He cannot move fast enough.

He feels fear. He feels pain. He feels numbing grief.

The door is not an obstacle only the last thing stopping him from where he "needs" to be.

His mind reels.

Before him...His worst nightmare...

He stops with a jolt.

He smiles without lips. "She" smiles because Bobby thought he was protected.


	2. Chapter 2

Bobby feels the profound presence of Lilith running through his veins like ice water. It feels like the fires of hell. Tentacles that are Lilith begin reaching and searching through his mind. Suddenly, the searching stops. Bobby sees the hunters and learned men he had contacted all over the world, and the hundreds of resources he used. He sees the many roads and countries travelled to find that which he sought.

The easy part of his quest was the ritual placing of the Sacred Symbol Tattoo over his heart. The most difficult, not only finding the Ancient Relic but in preparing the Hex bag in which it would be placed.

Lilith recoiled as she saw for the first time what Bobby had been searching for. She saw The Sacred Relic. Needle-like in appearance its sole purpose, to capture ancient evil erasing its' presence forever.

Every fiber of Bobby's being is on fire as Lilith explodes in rage. As Bobby screams he remembers what he must do. Convulsing as Lilith struggles for control, Bobby reaches into the Hex Bag. He pulls out the long shiny needle and points it towards his heart.

Bobby cannot see that the symbol has been transformed. He cannot tell that it now glows like a beacon. He does not know that his flesh has parted exposing his heart. A heart that now beats with a deafening roar.

Bobby screams again. As the needle pierces his heart, his eyes turn white, his lips turn cold and his blood begins to boil. Bobby hits the floor like a dead man.

Lilith is strong but for the second time tonight she feels fear. She knows what the relic can do and she knows she has greatly underestimated her human host.

Bobby is struggling with his entire being. He momentarily doubts he has the strength needed to send this evil back to freaking hell, or wherever it came from. He knows if he fails, more than his life will be over.

In a weak voice Bobby beings to chant words that were written long ago. As he continues, his voice becomes louder and slowly his strength is returning. There is one last shudder and with that Bobby feels peace.

As he staggers to his feet, Bobby stares at the Sacred Relic he has just removed from his heart. He knows what he has to do and places it carefully back into the Hex Bag.

For Bobby this nightmare has lasted an eternity. In real time, from a human standpoint, it took Bobby exactly 66.6 seconds to rid the world of an ancient evil formerly known as Lilith.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sam's P.O.V…**

Sam looked down at Dean and waited for him to make some smart-ass comment about personal space. But, nothing came. Dean's eyes were vacant; there was no spark of life, nothing but emptiness.

How could this have happened? Things were not supposed to end this way. Lilith was supposed to die and Dean was supposed to live. But, this wasn't a movie and the good guys always lose especially if their last name is Winchester.

"No." cried Sam. "NO!" He screamed as he held Dean tighter. "This isn't the end Dean. You are not staying in hell. I'll get you out and take down every son of a bitch that gets in my way. Hell won't know what hit them. They won't know."

Sam did not hear as Bobby opened the door and entered the room. He did not see the smile that was Lilith. All Sam could see was the battered torn lifeless form that was his brother.

When Bobby screamed the first time Sam thought he was hearing his own screams, screams that would echo in his mind forever.

It wasn't until Bobby screamed the second time that Sam became aware of a presence in the room. It was through the haze of tears that Sam saw a pulsing light, and a figure behind it.

In the time it took for Sam's mind to understand what he was seeing Bobby was down.

By the time Sam was able to release his hold on his brother, and lay Dean gently on the floor, Bobby was chanting.

As Bobby was struggling to get up, Sam reached his side.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bobby's P.O.V…**

Bobby did not look at Sam. All he saw was the unthinkable before him. All Bobby felt was a sudden cold, numbing pain, the uncontrolled flow of tears, and a sickness reaching into the depths of his soul.

Bobby whispers, "Dean," as he closes his eyes, and slowly reaches into his hex bag for the second time that night.

_Author's End Note:_

_Thank you for taking this journey with us. We hope you enjoyed it, and welcome any and all comments._


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